


the altruistic anthem of your downfall

by Anonymous



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-08-01 03:58:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16277375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Ardyn, before hell begins.





	the altruistic anthem of your downfall

Perhaps it borders on blasphemy— the way doubt in the Gods has slowly crept into Ardyn's heart, the way his heart clenches whenever he sees Somnus with a messenger.  
  
_If you are the Gods, why can't you cure the Starscourge yourself?_  
  
But perhaps the fact that they shift their responsibilities onto humanity— perhaps that is what truly shows that they are Gods.  
  
Power strong enough for them to not consider helping out urgent enough.  
  
(A part of Ardyn wants to watch that hubris slowly become their downfall.)  
  
Ardyn picks his hat up from the ground and keeps walking. On to the next village, a step closer to his destiny.  
  
_Destiny, eh? A pitiful concept._  
  
Somnus always loved stories of fulfilled destiny and prophecies, but so far being the one to carry out the Gods' will has been nothing but torture to Ardyn.  
  
(Soon, he is to overflow. But that will be worth it, right? The Gods said they'd grant them the power to get rid of the Starscourge once and for all.)  
  
Some warn him— Gilgamesh, particularly, seems to deliberately keep him from his duties by sparring with him, these days, and Ardyn wonders what the others see.  
  
_Do they see Ardyn Izunia, still?_  
  
Ardyn Izunia. If it had been up to their parents, Somnus would've been the firstborn. There was always an implication that Ardyn is  _different—_  perhaps because he never had inherently good intentions.  
  
He always did what he wanted to, and sometimes what he had to.  
  
No regard for others, except for Somnus. (And maybe Gilgamesh on a good day.)  
  
But selfishness is a luxury, and he wouldn't let Somnus take the burden.  
  


* * *

  
Selflessness never pays off.  
  
What's owed is stolen, what's sacred is defiled. To the Gods, humans are but spare parts in a machine.  
  
_Replaceable._  
  
To them, Ardyn Izunia is a stepping stone, and Somnus is a sword at best. Before long, they'll have used him up, too.  
  
And yet, Somnus sides with them.  
  
"You wouldn't understand," he says, and maybe Ardyn doesn't.  
  
Maybe Ardyn doesn't understand what it's like to be needed for the first time, but he does understand what it's like to not be needed for the first time.  
  
"So, gonna kill me?" Ardyn laughs hollowly. "You got gutsier."  
  
"I wouldn't—"  
  
"Then why do you have your sword drawn?"


End file.
